What to bring

On a daily basis the children need to bring the following in a clearly labelled bag:

A change of clothes including socks, underwear, pants/shorts/dress, t-shirt/skivvy, jumpers and singlets.

4-5 disposable nappies if the child is not toilet trained

Any dummies, bottles, [formula if required, which is to be made up at home] and any comfort toys or rugs.

​In Summer

In Winter

a sun hat

a warm hat

clothing that covers shoulders

coat

sunglasses

gum boots

Please also provide a light item of clothing for winter time and a warmer item of clothing for the summer time so as to accommodate any weather changes during these times

Things to remember:

• Children’s clothing should be lightweight and easy to manage. It should allow for ease of movement and should be able to get dirty.
• It is important that your child is dressed in clothes that allow him/her to develop independence. Please dress your child in clothes that can be easily removed by the children.
• Children’s clothing should protect them from the sun. All the clothing including dresses should cover the child’s shoulders.
• Children’s shoes should allow them to climb, walk, and run freely. Runners or sandals with cover toes that are fitted to the child’s feet are acceptable. Clog, thongs, slip on shoes are not appropriate for childcare –including crocs!

Toys from Home:

Staff cannot take responsibility for toys brought from home. We understand that children want to show their friends their latest toy so we allow them to show everyone for 5-10 minutes, then the toy must be returned to their bag or, in the kinder room, in the “special box”. The toys are then returned at home time. The less that comes from home – the less likely things are to be lost or broken.

Birthdays:

A Birthday is a very special event in most children’s lives; therefore the staff at the Centre try to make it a special and enjoyable occasion. Due to allergies the centre now provides cakes which must be ordered from the cook one week in advance. The cost ($7) will be added to your account.

Food:

Brenbeal’s program and resources are based on ‘Get up and Grow’, ‘Nutrition Australia’, ‘Healthy Together Victoria’ and ‘The Achievement Program’. The weekly Menu is on display in each room and we also post it on our facebook page; we have 4 season menus of four weeks each. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided. Special diets and or cultural and religious considerations are catered for, but the provisions of special foods will be the responsibility of parents/guardians, who should consult with the staff regarding these matters.The cook in consultation with the Manager plans a menu taking into consideration seasonal variations in the availability of some foods. Brenbeal is committed to the promotion of healthy eating and does not permit children to bring Fast Foods, sweet, drinks, cordials and fizzy drinks or snacks to the Centre. The Centre’s staff are happy to give the children breakfast however families are required to provide such meals, as they are not allocated in the Centre’s budget.

Dental Policy:

In discussion about health issues staff encourage all children to brush their teeth at least once a day at home. Brenbeal Children’s Centre believes this to be an important part of a child’s daily routine. As there are so many children within a group, teeth brushing would be better suited to the home environment. Children are encouraged to drink water after meals here which washes the food away from teeth. We have a large number of resources for parents regarding dental health.